News and views about the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and other legislation, schemes and policies impacting the Right to Education of India's Children.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Govt's reply to nursery teachers' plea for salary hike sought

NEW DELHI: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has sought the
response of the Centre on a plea by 41 nursery teachers engaged on
contractual basis for 'early child education centres' being run as part
of the Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry's 'Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan.'
The CAT bench of its members Dharam Paul Sharma and
Veena Chhotray issued notices to the State Project Director of Universal
Elementary Education (UEE) Mission, which runs the education centres
and comes under the HRD ministry, and the director of education, Delhi
seeking their replies by September 5.

The order of the bench came on the plea by 41 nursery teachers seeking
hike in their current salary of Rs 5,000 per month on the ground their
pay has not been revised since 2008 whereas their contracts have been
renewed periodically.
The bench also directed the respondents not to pass any adverse orders against these 41 teachers.
"Issue notice to the respondents (State Project Director, UEE Mission
and Director of Education). Let the matter be listed for our
consideration on September 5, 2012.
"In the meanwhile, no order adverse to the applicants (teachers) will be passed by the respondents," the CAT said.
The applicants have alleged other employees engaged on contractual
basis under the same project in different categories like assistant
teachers, are receiving higher remuneration as well as a hike in their
pay periodically.
They also contended in their plea that as per
the HRD ministry's policy of 'equal pay for equal work', they are
entitled to higher remuneration and periodical hike in their wages. They
said their monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 is below the minimum
prescribed wages.
The teachers, in their plea moved through
advocate Ashok Aggarwal, feared their contracts would not be renewed by
the authorities as they have agitated on this issue.